| Vikram | |
|---|---|
DVD Cover |
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| Directed by | Rajasekhar |
| Produced by | Raj Kamal Films International |
| Written by | Sujatha Rangarajan, Kamal Hassan |
| Starring | Kamal Hassan Ambika Dimple Kapadia Lizy Sathyaraj Charuhasan Janagaraj Amjad Khan |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
| Cinematography | S M Anwar |
| Editing by | B Lenin V T Vijayan |
| Release date(s) | 15 January 1986 |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil Telugu Malayalam |
Vikram (Tamil: விக்ரம்) is a 1986 Tamil-language Indian feature film directed by Rajasekhar, starring Kamal Hassan, Ambika, Dimple Kapadia, Lizy, Sathyaraj, Charuhasan, Janagaraj and Amjad Khan. Vikram is the first Tamil film which crossed the budget of 1 crore. The film resembled high tech James Bond movies.
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It was a high budget, hi-tech movie and perhaps the first one to enthrall Tamil audiences with state-of-the-art filmography involving RPGs, Ballistic Missiles, Pistol Silencers, head shots, cross-border terrorism and covert infiltration techniques among many others. Until the release of this movie, the most complex plot to feature in Tamil movies was that of the hero impersonating a thug (or a statue, as in Oru Kaidhiyin Diary) to stop the wrongdoer, and eventually losing a loved one to a single bullet/stab-wound in the climax.[1]Vikram was among the first few movies to deviate away from this routine, which set the standard for future movies to follow.
The film was directed by Rajasekar, and music scored by Ilaiyaraaja. The screenplay was co-written by Kamal Haasan and Sujatha Rangarajan, the famous novelist and short story writer. Special effects were designed by SM Anwar and the stunts choreographed by Super Subburayan and Vikram Dharma.
The movie opens with a court scene where three dangerous criminals Atlaf, Bohra and Hussain receive 20 years each for their heinous crimes (not detailed in the movie). The criminals are unremorsefully casual, and play Chinese Chequers on the bench whilst the judge reads out their sentence. En route to the escort van one of the convicts boisterously remarks "you just watch... we'll be walking free in 20 days". The scene morphs to complete darkness and the starting credits roll. The movie now opens with AgniPutra, a nuclear-capable ICBM being lynched en route to a secret location. The perpetrator of the heist is shown to be Sugirtharaja (Sathyaraj) a charismatic antagonist with a flair for sadistic mockery. Back in HQ, a visibly distraught panel of ministers and military top brass led by Mr.Rao (Charu Hassan) mull over the dangerous prospects of a nuke falling into terrorists' hands. After some deliberation, they appoint A.K.Vikram (Kamal Hassan) a government operative, to locate the AgniPutra. News of this appointment somehow reaches Sugirtharaja who promptly orders Vikram killed. But the henchman (Vikram Dharma) accidentally shoots to death his three-month-pregnant wife before fleeing to safety. Filled with bitterness, Vikram rebukes Rao for the costly leak and deftly exposes the mole in his office - the trusted secretary Chari. After some torturing Chari names Sugirtharaja as the mastermind in front of the panel, but jumps to his death without giving any further details. At this Vikram wryly remarks "Rule Number One: Never conduct interrogations on the fourth floor".
Rao introduces Vikram to a computer expert Preethi (Lizy) who knows the design of AgniPutra's on-board computer. She is initially annoyed with Vikram's crude ways, but mellows down eventually. Later whilst at a cinema theatre, Vikram spots Sugirtharaja in a news reel footage. Further investigation reveals that all the bad eggs are in Salamia, a fictional country that doesn't entertain intel-sharing with India. With the diplomatic route ruled out, Vikram and Preethi embark on a mission to disarm the nuke by infiltrating Salamia. They tag along with a troupe of folk artists who intend entertaining the winsome Sultan of Salamia (Amjad Khan).
Once in Salamia, the charming princess Inimaasi (Dimple Kapadia), sister of the Sultan, falls head-over-heels for Vikram despite the language barrier. Though Preethi is constantly put off by Vikram’s arrogance, she falls for him too. Vikram identifies the location where the nuke is held (the sacred Eli Kovil where only the Royal family and High Priest are allowed) and also discovers that the High Priest is a traitor who under Sugirtharaja's directions is secretly using the Eli Kovil to enrich AgniPutra's nuclear capabilities. One night he sneaks into the Eli Kovil, tweaks the AgniPutra's on-board computer (but fails to completely disarm it) and inadvertently forays into a "males not allowed" zone where he meets Inimaasi. His attempts to expose the priest's treason are met with sheer dissent as she is only interested in a carnal relationship. The sultan catches the couple hand-in-honey and sentences Vikram to be decapitated in public. Vikram however, escapes execution and flees to the desert on camelback where a gun-toting Sugirtharaja (and a squadron of royal sentries) chases him until he gives in to dehydration. Vikram is bitten by a black cobra, and Sugirtharaja leaves him for dead.
Back at the Royal Palace, the High priest stages a coup and holds the Sultan at gunpoint. Inimaasi manages to escape on camelback, and finds the delirious Vikram in the desert. She nurses him back to health with an amorous touch of love. The couple then return to the palace and fight off the armed sentries while the Sultan impales the high priest on his super-sized sword. Sugirtharaja, oblivious to the fact that AgniPutra's on-board computer has been tweaked, launches it hoping to decimate New Delhi. At HQ the Indian officials watch in despair as their computer screen shows a 2D animation of AgniPutra slowly descending upon New Delhi. Their despair turns into cheer when the missile soars back into the skies and plunges far away into the Bay of Bengal, thus not harming anyone. Back in Salamia the royal guards have almost taken back the palace, and the siege has almost been annulled. A disillusioned Sugirtharaja forces Preethi into a glider and takes off.
Vikram follows the plane on horseback, throws a lasso at the skids and eventually climbs onto the wings. A high-action scuffle ensues with the hero clinging onto the plane despite all the pummeling, then forcing his way into the cockpit to batter the villain. Sugirtharaja sets-off a bomb and jumps with a parachute backpack (the only one) strapped-on.
Vikram and Preethi jump off as the plane explodes, and a tense fight ensues in mid air amidst the freely falling trio. Sugirtharaja loses the backpack to Vikram and falls to his death, while the latter parachutes down to safety cuddling and kissing his girl. The buxome princess arrives on camel back and the film ends on a frivolous note, with the hero running away from two gorgeous dames close on his heels.
Vikram also gained a lot of popularity in the neighbouring state Kerala.
The soundtrack was composed by Maestro Ilayaraja. A total of five songs were composed of which four were included in the soundtrack.
| Track | Song | Singer(s) | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vikram (Title Song) | Kamal, Janaki | 04:49 | |
| 2 | Vanithamani | SPB, Janaki | 04:54 | Kamal Hassan sung the introductory verbal singing |
| 3 | En Jodi Manja Kuruvi | SPB, Sailaja | 04:48 | |
| 4 | Meendum Meendum Vaa | SPB, Janaki | 05:06 | |
| 5 | Sippikkul Oru Muthu | Yesudas, Janaki | 04:42 | Not featured in the film |